Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936) was an English medieval scholar, provost of King's College, Cambridge, and later of Eton College, best known today for his ghost stories, which are widely regarded as among the finest in the genre. Born in Goodnestone, Kent, James developed a passion for antiquarianism and medieval studies from a young age. He pursued these interests at King's College, Cambridge, where he became Assistant Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum. James's scholarly work focused on biblical apocrypha, palaeography, and medieval illuminated manuscripts, but he is most remembered for his ghost stories, which he began writing in the 1890s to entertain friends and colleagues. "A Warning to the Curious," one of his most celebrated tales, was first published in the London Mercury in 1925 and later included in his 1925 collection, "A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories." The story, set in the fictional coastal town of Seaburgh, was written just a few years after the end of World War I and is notable for its dark, pessimistic tone, which reflects the profound impact of the war on British society.
